


Nerves

by gothic_burrito



Series: Accountant x History Student AU [2]
Category: La Passe-Miroir | The Mirror Visitor - Christelle Dabos
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkwardness, Blind Date, F/M, Fluff, Nervousness, Romance, Thorn POV, accountant and history student AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:48:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29010051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothic_burrito/pseuds/gothic_burrito
Summary: All the resentment towards Berenilde was forgotten. He would have to send her flowers for forcing him into this situation because he knew that he would have never had the courage to ask this amazing woman out on a date all by himself. Even if they had met under less embarrassing circumstances.
Relationships: Ophélie/Thorn (La Passe-Miroir)
Series: Accountant x History Student AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2125908
Comments: 25
Kudos: 41





	Nerves

**Author's Note:**

> Me ditching my accounting lecture to write this accountant AU... the irony 😂
> 
> I apologize for possible OOC actions but I don't want this to drag on forever, it's long enough. So no there is not gonna be a much slow burn in this AU as there is in the original 😂
> 
> I also had to pick a last name for Thorn and Berenilde. (since the original universe does not provide ANY what so ever)  
> Dragon would have been the obvious choice but I felt like "Thorn Dragon" sounds silly so I ran their names through a lastname generator for a bit. Hope you don't mind.
> 
> Oh and THANK YOU for all of your lovely comments under the first part. You are all wonderful💕

_She was his date._

Thorn had to take a moment to compose himself and collect his emotions, which were all over the place upon the recent twist of events. The small woman with the mass of dark curls was looking up at him intently, clearly waiting for him to introduce himself properly. But he was frozen to the spot. No clear thought wanted to settle itself into his mind. This was an absolute disaster.

“Uhm… hi. I’m Ophelia.” Her shy voice sounded like it was coming from the other side of a wall of cotton.

The urge to check the time set in again. He had to regain control of the situation somehow. Thorn squared his shoulders as much as his already pin-straight posture allowed. _Get it together man._

“Should we go inside? My aunt told me that Berenilde made a reservation.” Her voice was getting smaller and smaller, obviously intimidated by his lack of response. He could not resist taking out his fob watch anymore. Quickly scanning the time and calculating how long they had been standing there. One-hundred-and-twelve seconds.

“Yes, we should.” Thorn succeeded in keeping his tone neutral, a little too neutral in hindsight. He had to force his long limbs to cooperate but he eventually managed to open the glass door for his companion. She looked even more intimidated than before but followed his suggestion regardless. Thorn could kick himself. He was only making it worse the more he tried to pull himself together. Another look at his watch. Now one-hundred-and-fifty seconds of awkwardness.

One of the waiters approached the odd pair that was standing by the door. It was apparent that he was also not in a good mood. _Oh, wonderful, this is just going to be a shit experience for everyone involved._ “Good evening, do you have a reservation?” The waiter only addressed Thorn but he kept glancing at Ophelia out of the corner of his eye. For some reason, that bothered Thorn. He couldn’t explain why but the way this other man was looking at Ophelia set off a dull ache in the pit of his stomach.

“Yes, the reservation is for Berenilde York.” His tone was bordering on hostile but he couldn’t help himself. Only being in the presence of this small woman sent his meticulously acquired cue cards that contained social etiquette flying in all directions. His head had never been so empty before. All he could still rely on was time. Seconds passing regardless of his behavior towards this woman or anyone else for that matter.

The waiter nodded and pointed to a table in one of the corners. It was relatively secluded and Thorn knew immediately that Berenilde probably requested this table specifically. He noticed that Ophelia was not paying any attention to the waiter or even the table. She was still looking at Thorn with an ever-growing amount of discomfort present in her eyes and facial features. She was certainly having an at least equally terrible experience as him. This fact did nothing for calming him whatsoever. Now he felt obliged to react in a way that would make her feel more at ease. Which was absolute foreign territory for the stiff accountant. _Dates are really not my thing._

Once seated they simultaneously picked up a menu. Thorn saw the way she almost hid behind hers and felt a strange constriction around his heart. He realized at that moment, that she was plainly scared of him. And for some reason that thought almost hurt him physically. He had never cared about anyone’s opinion of him before. But this woman was different. He wanted her to at least feel comfortable around him.

“You still…Uhm… you haven’t told me your name yet.”

The sentence hung in the air between the two, unmoving and glaring. He had completely forgotten to introduce himself. It would have been funny, had they not both been so awkward. Thorn took out his watch, fixating his eyes on the hands. Three-hundred-and-two. He did not look up before speaking.

“I’m Thorn.”

More silence.

“Listen, about earlier in the car park… I’m really sorry if I startled you-“Ophelia started but Thorn interrupted her, determined to finally get the conversation going and move away from this oppressing tension. “My aunt told me you study history. So what do you want to do after college?” He had yet to look at her again. He was still staring at the watch. Three-hundred-and-thirty-five. He heard the rustling of paper which indicated that she was leafing through her menu. Suddenly the noise paused and he was tempted to look up and see for himself what made her stop. But he was too scared of what he might find. The thought of meeting those big doe eyes terrified him. He felt like he might actually end up losing himself in them.

“She told you I- ok well that’s not completely right. I already finished my degree so I am currently working towards my Ph.D. while working at the local museum.” Ophelia’s voice sounded suddenly extensively more animated. Her abrupt switch in tone made Thorn look up. It seemed to him that he had finally found a topic they could talk about. Sure, he did not know a lot about history but he preferred listening over talking anyway so what did it matter. He asked her a couple more questions about her specific field and was pleased to see that she took the bait and opened up about her studies and work at the museum. It was evident how passionate she was about her occupation, which was a sentiment he could relate to.

They had just finished their food when Thorn let his gaze wander through the room and spotted a familiar blond head of curls. His heart stopped for a moment. She would not dare to… But he was not mistaken. Berenilde sat a couple of tables to their left by herself, a single cup of coffee in front of her. Thorn excused himself, his hand gripping the fob watch in his pocket tightly but not pulling it out just now. The cool metal helped him to ground himself when even numbers failed him. He shuffled through the rows of other guests until he reached his aunt. He could feel Ophelia’s eyes following him and it felt like her attention was burning holes into his back.

Berenilde on the other hand pretended not to see him. She had her phone in her hand and was absentmindedly scrolling through it. The twitch of her mouth betrayed her though. She was aware that he had spotted her and that he was approaching. The indifference she showed towards him only further stoked the fire. “What are you doing here?” He tried to speak as quietly as possible but could not moderate his voice well enough to whisper. He was truly furious with her. Who did she think she was, setting him up with a stranger and then observing him like he couldn’t be trusted around people.

“Oh hello Thorn, what a lucky coincidence that we see each other here.” Her blue eyes glimmered with mirth when she finally lifted her gaze to look at her nephew. Her face was the prime example of elegance and indifference. A lazy smile pulling at her lips but besides that no further response to the sudden appearance of Thorn. He gritted his teeth and gripped the fob watch in his pocket even tighter. “Are you spying on me?” Came the barely concealed hiss.

“Just drinking some coffee darling. But why are you over here with me, shouldn’t you be with your little date?” Her voice was as smooth as butter and she leaned around Thorn to take a better look at Ophelia. The smile on Berenilde’s face broadened and she lifted her hand to wave at the other woman. But Thorn was quicker. He grabbed her hand in his free one and yanked it down. Not roughly but with enough force to wipe the smile off of Berenilde’s face. They stared at each other for a moment before they both regained their composure and Thorn let her hand go. It would be really unwise to make a huge scene in the middle of this relatively small restaurant. The other guests were already staring regardless. So he just turned and walked back to Ophelia without uttering another word to his aunt. This would have consequences. He would not sit back and let himself be treated like a child. He was closer to thirty than to twenty so he was more than capable of making his own decisions, without constant supervision.

“Was that your aunt?” Ophelia’s small voice dragged him out of the haze of anger and disappointment that he had gotten himself into. She looked at him, truly curious and with no hint of judgment. He snapped a mental picture of that look. It was by far the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and he would give everything to see it on her face again. The grip around his watch loosened. He cleared his throat and blinked a couple of times. _What is this woman doing to me?_

Thorn decided to ignore her question and folded both of his boney hands on the table to prevent himself from reaching for his watch. She must think him incredibly rude for checking the time so often. He had noticed her face falling a couple of times when he did it during their conversation earlier. He was looking at her and tried to come up with something to change the subject. Yet again, his lack of communication skills bothering him more than ever before. Ophelia on the other hand had raised a questioning eyebrow but eventually dropped the subject and avoided his gaze. _I’m making her uncomfortable again, don’t I?_

At last, the waiter from earlier came by and they both paid their bills. Thorn thought the awkward moment had finally passed but soon realized that it was just shifted into a different form. It was now time for them to leave and he had no idea how to properly end a date. Especially one that had gone so poorly. They exchanged an apologetic look and both got up from their chairs. Thorn had brought his coat with him and therefore took it off the back of his chair to fold it over his arm once more. While doing so he noticed that Ophelia had not brought a jacket with her. She was only wearing a thin grey blouse. Surely her car must be close by, for her not to worry about the risk of getting cold while being out in the evening. But this assumption was revealed to be wrong later on.

The pair stepped out into the cool night in silence and stood on the sidewalk for a moment. _Back to square one._ Thorn watched Ophelia wringing her hands and observing her shoes with great interest. She seemed even tenser than at the beginning of their date. He feared that he had committed another grave error that set her off for good until she lifted her gaze and her eyes shone almost hopeful. “Uhm, I was wondering… if… ifyoucouldwalkmehome?” She muttered into her hair, which she was partly hiding behind. Thorn almost choked on his own saliva. He was not sure if he had understood her mumbling correctly so he had no choice but to ask her to repeat the question. His cheeks felt unfamiliarly hot and with horror, he figured that he must be bushing.

“I- “She sighed deeply but continued clearer and louder. “I wanted to ask you if you could walk me home. I live close by and I don’t like walking alone at night.”

Thorn had to swallow the lump in his throat before he could answer. She was asking him to walk her home. Him, of all people. Had he not embarrassed himself enough for one evening? How could she still feel the need to drag this humiliating encounter out any longer? He was not sure what he had done to deserve her trust in this way. He had always been told that he had an intimidating effect on other people. So would he not be the last person someone would want to find themselves alone on a deserted street with? His mind was racing again. Ophelia was still watching him closely so he had to come up with something as quickly as possible. He could not avoid this question. And it was not that he did not want to spend more time with her. It seemed like this small woman had bewitched him to the point where he felt incapable of refusing her. But he could not understand why she would choose to be in his presence for longer than required by the blind date set up.

“It’s ok if you would rather go home. It’s a relatively quiet neighborhood anyway so it’s probably just my paranoia speaking.” Her eyes wandered back to the pavement. He had waited too long and she had taken his silence for rejection. _Quick, reassure her you useless lump!_

“No! No… of course, I can walk you home.” He choked out and had to clear his throat to keep the hoarseness out of his voice before continuing. “You should really not walk alone at this hour. Lead the way.” She nodded, looking a bit more relaxed.

Her short strides were infuriating to mimic but Thorn eventually managed to fall in line with her. It wouldn’t have made sense for him to set the pace, since he did not know where they were going. So he busied himself with stealing side glances at her when he thought she was not paying attention to him. They did not speak anymore but the silence was comfortable so Thorn let himself enjoy the peace and quiet. He was surprised to find that he for once did not care how much time had passed since he last checked. Ophelia was able to ground him just by being near him. _And I’m never going to see her again because I can’t stop acting like an asshole._

His eyes wandered over to the smaller woman next to him for the fifth time since they started their walk and he noticed her rubbing her hands over her arms briefly. Was she cold? The wind had started to pick up so it was likely that the chill had already slipped through the thin fabric of her blouse. Should he offer her his overcoat? It would look like a tent on her small frame but it would certainly shield her from the wind. He contemplated the idea but did not manage to reach a conclusion. Wouldn’t it be too forward? Yes, she asked him to walk her home but surely just because she was afraid, not because she actually enjoyed his company. In that case, she would probably decline his offer. After all, there was a certain implication attached to offering a woman one’s coat. While still struggling with himself, he noticed her eying the coat on his arm. That made the decision significantly easier for him.

“Are you cold?” His voice was drenched in nerves so he opted for a fast and short delivery. Maybe she would not notice that way. His hands had started to shake slightly as well. So he placed the coat in front of him and hid his hands behind it. He was so used to not being able to show weakness that the thought of her not minding his nerves had not even crossed his mind.

Ophelia raised both eyebrows in surprise but then proceeded to wrap her arms around herself and nod. That was all the confirmation Thorn needed. He clumsily unfolded the coat and draped it around Ophelia’s tiny shoulders. It absolutely swallowed her but she seemed to relax as soon as there was a barrier between her body and the cool air. She grabbed the sides of the coat to prevent it from sliding off of her again. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment and she breathed an almost inaudible “Thank you”. A small smile whispered around the corners of her mouth.

Thorn’s head was spinning. It appeared that he had done the right thing. This blissful moment of success was cut short, however, by Ophelia stopping in front of an apartment complex. They had reached their destination. Thorn’s heart dropped down to his feet. This was it then. The end of the date and the moment he would take his coat back, say goodbye and never see her again. To his surprise, he felt Ophelia grab one of his hands, which were loosely hanging beside his angular torso. Her skin was warm and soft against his. Completely mesmerized by the feeling, he missed what she said to him. So when she looked at him expectantly he could just blink and tilt his head to the side to signal that he had not been paying attention. His voice would surely fail him if he tried to speak now.

“Would you like for us to exchange numbers? We should do this again sometime, I think… I mean if you want to-” “Yes!” He jumped at the volume of his own voice and Ophelia let go of his hand to put hers over her heart, clearly startled. A smile formed on her lips. She shook her head slightly and reached into the small bag she had brought with her to pull out her phone. Thorn took the hint and took his out as well. They quickly swapped devices to save themselves as a contact into the other’s phone.

“Text me when you’re home, ok? I know I said the neighborhood isn’t dangerous but you never know.” With those words, she slit out of his coat and gently placed it into his hands. Their eyes met again and Thorn found himself short of words for probably the thirtieth time that night. He simply could not believe his luck.

All the resentment towards Berenilde was forgotten. He would have to send her flowers for forcing him into this situation because he knew that he would have never had the courage to ask this amazing woman out on a date all by himself. Even if they had met under less embarrassing circumstances.

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to quickly point out that I do not really have a specific city or even country in mind for the setting. I generally base my English AUs in the US but I don't know that much about the school system over there. I am german so I have no clue how college works😅 Will try to do some research on that for future updates but for now I kind of put doing a doctorate and a Ph.D. on the same level... I have no idea if there are any significant differences. 
> 
> The next two parts are going to be the first meeting and the date from Ophelia's perspective so get ready for that👌
> 
> Probably going to take me longer to write those tho because I have my first exam of the season on Monday and I should REALLY start revising😂


End file.
